Chapter 874: Xu Shaochen’s Shock

“Everyone, no need to be so polite. It seems Mr. Henry enjoys having people lick his shoes. This goes to show his shoes are cleaner when licked than when polished.”

“So, let’s consider today my treat. If anyone’s not satisfied, feel free to let Henry know. I’m sure he’ll make it right for you.”

Xu Shaochen looked around the room, spread his hands, and with a gentle smile, turned toward Henry:

“Am I right, Henry?”

“Yes.”

Henry forced a stiff smile, almost grinding his teeth as he uttered this one word.

Though his heart was filled with rage and resentment.

On the surface, however, he didn’t dare show the slightest hint of displeasure and was forced to smile.

“I never thought I’d receive such treatment too. Henry, it’s up to you now. As we’re old acquaintances, make sure it’s extra clean.”

Barron laughed, pointing at Henry with his cigar.

In his head, Henry cursed Barron’s ancestors all the way back eighteen generations, but outwardly, he nodded tearfully.

Then Henry, like a dog, got down on the floor and licked everyone’s shoes, starting with Xu Shaochen.

At that moment, Long Yi and Long Er dragged the manager back inside, looking as pathetic as a beaten dog.

The manager hadn’t just had a hand broken; his face was also swollen and bruised without a single unmarred spot.

Obviously, Long Yi and the others had kindly given him some ‘extra attention.’

It was only then that the police finally arrived, very late.

“Freeze! Nobody move! Stand still!”

Everyone complied.

But Xu Shaochen and Barron leisurely smoked their cigars, completely ignoring the officers who had just busted in.

“Damn it! You need to show some respect for my job!”

The leading officer stepped up to Xu Shaochen and Barron, glaring at them as he spoke through gritted teeth.

“Officer, please step back. Your breath is stifling me, and be careful not to knock over my cigar. I’m afraid your monthly salary wouldn’t cover even one of these cigars.”

Xu Shaochen blew a puff of smoke at the officer, his tone calm with a faint smile on his face.

“Shit!”

The officer cursed under his breath, pointing at the manager and Henry, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked, “Can you tell me what’s going on here?”

“Who knows? Maybe they fell? If you want details, perhaps you should ask them, should you not?”

Xu Shaochen shrugged, completely indifferent.

The officer gave Xu Shaochen a vicious stare, then shouted at Henry and the manager on the floor: “Hey! Tell me, what happened? Did someone hit you?”

“No, sir. You must be mistaken. We… we fell over on our own.”

Henry promptly answered. He had no choice but to put up with it.

“Yes, yes. We fell on our own. No one else was involved. It was our carelessness, and we’ll take full responsibility.”

Even with his broken hand, the manager didn’t dare say a single word implicating Xu Shaochen.

“Do you take me for an idiot? Would a simple fall leave someone in this state?”

The officer shouted angrily, grabbing Henry by his collar.

“Officer, I advise you to let go unless you want my lawyer to have a word with you.”

Henry stared at the officer as he spoke.

“Bastard!”

The officer snarled, biting down his frustration as he turned and marched out with his subordinates.

“Mr… Mr. Xu.”

The moment the police left, the manager and Henry trembled as they looked at Xu Shaochen, filled with apprehension.

“Your performance just now pleased me. You may go.”

Xu Shaochen said lightly, waving his hand as if shooing away a fly.

“Thank you, Mr. Xu! Thank you, Mr. Xu!”

The two of them were overjoyed and repeatedly expressed their immense gratitude before scrambling out of the hotel.

“Long Yi, take Brother Sun to the hospital to get his wounds treated.”

Xu Shaochen instructed Long Yi.

“There’s no need for all that trouble. I’ll just get a cab and go.”

Sun Hai quickly chimed in.

“No need to be so polite.”

Xu Shaochen finalized the decision.

“Brother, today… Sigh, if it weren’t for you, who knows what kind of mess I’d be in.”

Sun Hai sighed deeply, lamenting how tough life was for Chinese people abroad.

Even staying in a five-star hotel, he could still be humiliated and picked on.

Who knows how many more similar incidents the migrant workers might face?

“Come on, there’s no need for formality between us. Go get treated.”

Xu Shaochen patted Sun Hai on the shoulder, watched him leave, then called a waiter to prepare a private room.

A few minutes later, inside the private room.

“Xu, you didn’t call me out here just for a meal, did you? If a meal was all you wanted, you should have invited a girl, not me.”

Barron joked while pouring Xu Shaochen a cup of tea.

The hotel offered full traditional Chinese service. The tea was also flown in from China, and Xu Shaochen rather enjoyed it.

“Barron, perhaps I invited you for your granddaughter?”

Xu Shaochen said with a half-smile.

“Oh, Xu, are you prepared for jail time? My granddaughter just turned ten. I advise you to abandon that bold idea. Our country has strict laws for people like you.”

The two joked for a while, but when the waiter started serving food, Xu Shaochen got down to business.

“Barron, I want to know what you’re planning to do with that jade. Recently, I’ve come across some things related to it, and I’m curious.”

Xu Shaochen asked.

Barron was taken aback. He didn’t expect Xu Shaochen to ask that. After a while, he said, “Xu, can I choose not to answer?”

“What do you think?” Xu Shaochen replied.

Barron let out a helpless laugh: “Looks like coming to this dinner was a mistake.”

After a pause, he grew serious and said, “Alright, fine. I want to use it to develop life-extending medicine. Do you believe me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? But what I want to know is, where did you learn about this?”

That was what Xu Shaochen was most concerned about.

Barron was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xu Shaochen to believe him, but after thinking for a moment, he said, “I heard it from your grandfather. He had a similar jade. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see the research complete.”

“My grandfather?” Now it was Xu Shaochen’s turn to be surprised.

Barron chuckled, “Xu, where do you think your grandfather got all his cancer cures from?”